MADPET is for the Abolition of Death Penalty, an end of torture and abuse of rights by the police, an end to death in custody, an end to police shoot to kill incidents, for greater safeguards to ensure a fair trial, for a right to one phone call and immediate access to a lawyer upon arrest, for the repeal of all laws that allow for detention without trial and an immediate release of all those who are under such draconian laws.

Thursday, July 09, 2015

Sirul Azhar Umar and former Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri death sentence must be commuted to imprisonment.

WHY? Besides all the obvious reason why death penalty need to be abolished, in this case there are other reasons..

There has always been doubt whether these 2 persons were acting on their own, a view that gained even more strength when Sirul in Australia allegedly said that he was ordered/instructed/directed to do what he did...Stay alive they must so that we can also unravel who else were involved in the murder, and ensure that all responsible are caught, tried and duly sentenced...

Further, if we look at the trial transcripts, we find that the evidence are 'questionable'..remembering the fact that the 2 never confessed...so (1) Why will they take the police to the allege site and say that this is how and where they killed - doubtful too since it is just the testimony of police officers, uncorroborated with any tape or video recordings; (2) Jewelery in the jacket, and one of them told them this??? - odd, since would not the police have already gone to the house, car, etc of murder suspects to find any evidence that will solidify their belief... to say they went just when the suspect told them is odd to me (or maybe I have been watching too many TV programs), ... In any event, even the Court of Appeal (3 Judges) was not ready to affirm the conviction - and they acquitted both of them.

Political Agenda - PM or his wife may have ordered the killing? This is all not at all relevant for the moment - all that is important is that there should not be a miscarriage of justice...

There will be a 'miscarriage of justice' if they are both executed, and the full truth is thus suppressed..

Some say ' why did Sirul not say so earlier?' Well, if he did, then still this would be tantamount to admitting that he 'murdered' someone, and he would be facing the death penalty. I killed because I was ordered is certainly no defence. It makes sense, that now after the final appeal at the Federal Court is done that he now speaks out... after all, at this stage there is almost nothing to lose anymore...So, it was sad that the police here was not keen to re-open the investigation ...more to find and bring all others involved to justice. It was also most sad that Najib, as Prime Minister, did not call for the investigation to be re-opened...we certainly do not want any accomplice to get away scot free for murder...

Lawyer denies Sirul testifying in Aussie court on Altantuya murder

Thursday July 9, 201509:30 AM GMT+8

File
picture of Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar (heads covered) during one
of their court appearances in 2009. — Picture by Choo Choy MayKUALA
LUMPUR, July 9 — Sirul Azhar Umar’s lawyer has dismissed as a hoax a
message circulating on WhatsApp that his client will testify in
Australian courts that Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor ordered the ex-police
commando to murder Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Local daily The Star reported Sirul’s lawyer, Hasnal Rezua
Merican, as saying that the message on the mobile messaging app cited a
purported report by Australia’s Herald Sun that Rosmah had ordered the killing of the Mongolian woman for blackmailing her husband, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“I have checked with Sirul and he has absolutely no knowledge of saying
any such thing or speaking with any journalist from the Herald Sun,” Hasnal was quoted saying.

“The message, which is being spread, is a hoax, and I believe that it
originated in Malaysia and was meant for a local audience,” he added.

The Star reported the lawyer as saying that he could not find any such report by the Herald Sun. Malay Mail Online could not find the purported report either.

Sirul is being held at an immigration detention centre in Sydney when
he went to Australia after he and former Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri
were acquitted by the Court of Appeal in 2013 of murdering Altantuya.

The Federal Court reversed the acquittal last January and sentenced them to death by hanging.

Sirul has claimed that he had killed the 28-year-old Altantuya under
orders, but did not mention who was behind such instructions.

Malaysia is seeking to extradite Sirul home to face his sentencing, but
he remains in Sydney as Australian law forbids the government from
sending criminals to countries that have the death penalty.

Malaysian chapter
of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) will play a pivotal role to
spearhead the people’s campaign to banish the death penalty....in Kuala
Lumpur on June 11 had adopted the stance.

Kula said Nancy, who had raised the issue many times with the federal
government, revealed that the Attorney-General in a June 9 reply to her
written enquiry said his chamber’s study on the matter was still
ongoing.

In 2010, Nazri, then Law Minister, said the federal government
intended to abolish the death penalty while the AG in a statement in
2012 said that laws would be introduced to abolish it.

PGA M’sia to play pivotal role in death penalty abolishment

Its secretary says PGA Malaysia will promote and advance the abolition of the death penalty in Malaysia.

GEORGE TOWN: The Malaysian chapter
of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) will play a pivotal role to
spearhead the people’s campaign to banish the death penalty.

PGA Malaysia secretary and DAP’s Ipoh MP M Kula Segaran said the
chapter’s meeting held in the Parliament House committee room in Kuala
Lumpur on June 11 had adopted the stance.

He said PGA Malaysia sensed that there was a strong undercurrent movement in the country to end the death penalty.

However it also acknowledged that stronger public pressure and
discussions with all stakeholders were required to bring real and long
term changes.

“The meeting decided that PGA Malaysia will play the role of the
promotion and advancement of abolition of the death penalty in
Malaysia,” said Kula.

PGA is a non-profit, non-partisan international network of committed
legislators that informs and mobilises parliamentarians in all regions
of the world to advocate for human rights and the rule of law,
democracy, human security, non-discrimination, and gender equality.

Currently it consists of over 1,100 legislators in more than 140 elected parliaments around the globe.

Kula, the DAP national vice-chairman said Nazri reaffirmed his stand at the meeting that the death penalty must be abolished.

However Nazri acknowledged that in view of current public pressure,
PGA Malaysia must first focus on repealing the mandatory death sentence.

Kula said Nancy, who had raised the issue many times with the federal
government, revealed that the Attorney-General in a June 9 reply to her
written enquiry said his chamber’s study on the matter was still
ongoing.

Marazzitti also briefed the PGA Malaysia about his experience in
getting the people and elected representatives to support the
abolishment of the death penalty. He has written books on the subject
and been instrumental in pushing for it in various countries.

In 2010, Nazri, then Law Minister, said the federal government
intended to abolish the death penalty while the AG in a statement in
2012 said that laws would be introduced to abolish it.

“Although the above are positive developments, real changes into the abolishment have yet to materialise.

“In essence, Malaysians were not against the abolishment of the mandatory death penalty,” said Kula. - FMT News,17 June 2015

On 18 December 2007, the UN General Assembly endorsed a resolution calling for "a moratorium on executions" by an overwhelming majority: 104 votes in favour, 54 against and 29 abstentions. - RESOLUTION 62/149

On 18 December 2008, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a second resolution calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty. 106 countries voted in favour of the draft resolution, 46 voted against and 34 abstained.

22/12/2010, the United Nations General Assembly 3rd resolution in favour of a universal moratorium on the death penalty : 108 countries voted in favour, with 41 against and 36 abstentions.

Radio Interviews & VDOs

BFM Radio (13/10/2011) - Talking with Charles Hector and Nico Tuijn about the death penaltyDeath in Dilemma - The Final Curtain (produced by the Malaysian Bar), about 25 minuted, is shown in the first part of this VDO

MADPET (Malaysian Against Death Penalty and Torture)

MADPET is a movement for the abolition of death penalty and torture, and it is also been involved in issues of administration of justice, death in custody, freedom of expression, opposing abuse of power and wrongdoings by the police, prison authorities and other enforment authorities, animal rights, rights of minority groups, housing rights, rights of the disabled, concerns in the criminal justice system. MADPET is for the promotion of human rights, human freedoms and justice in Malaysia and in our world.